Mourinho: “The win is a big relief”

Jose Mourinho has spoken of his relief after he saw his side beat Dynamo Kiev 2-1 at Stamford Bridge to move to second in Group G.

An excellent late Willian freekick was enough to seal victory for Chelsea, after Kiev defender Aleksandr Dragovic put the ball into his own net in the first half before equalising with just over 10 minutes to go.

The win takes considerable pressure off Mourinho and his side, who are currently struggling to hit their stride in domestic competitions.

However, the Portuguese said that the win provided huge relief for all, not least himself:

“The win is a big relief. The players deserve to get compensation for their hard work.

“Many players are coming to their normal levels, despite having feelings as a team when negative moments come – and they are coming every game.

“The difference today was that we had confidence in the negative moment.

“The negative moment is always arriving for us. We had that good reaction against Stoke in the League Cup and today we conceded that goal with 15 minutes to go. I think the team was strong mentally, they kept trying and I’m happy with that.”

The 52-year old also praised matchwinner Willian, who has become somewhat notorious at scoring from set pieces in recent weeks. However, Mourinho was quick to praise the whole team for their display, and the fans for their support:

“He’s playing very well, not just today. He has been playing well for a long time.

“Everybody did their job very well. It is fair to look at Willian because of his work-rate, quality on the ball, participation in the first goal and quality of second goal.”

“The fans recognise I’m a good pro, brought a great moment and have had great memories. Until my last day in this club, if that is in four years, 10 years, 15 years, I will give everything to them.”